MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Mon Health System and West Virginia Junior College are partnering to provide nursing students with an accelerated program aimed at providing real-world experience and addressing the state’s nursing shortage.
The collaborative initiative will take 18 months to complete and more closely integrates the employer with the education experience. Chad Callen, Chief Executive Officer with WVJC, believes that integration is necessary to solve problems such as the limited number of nurses.
“Our state’s healthcare system desperately needs more nurses, quickly,” said Callen. “This collaboration allows us to integrate our accelerated 18-month program directly into the hospital system, thereby increasing capacity, optimizing learning outcomes, and improving the student experience.”
Mon Health nurses will be appointed as WVJC lab and clinical faculty and students will train alongside them in the hospital while also completing the digital coursework.
Open enrollment begins in September with the first cohort starting training in April 2023.
The program is just the first step in a broader integration of the educational experience with employers, giving students the tools necessary to immediately find employment once they have completed the program.
“We’ve already made it clear we intend to work on broader workforce needs within Mon Health and other employers across the state,” said Callen.
Mon Health already collaborates with WVJC to place students who have complete certifications in areas such as medical coding, through the hospital system.